The FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank guided missile system proved highly effective against russian tanks and armored vehicles in 2022. The system continues to be upgraded, and U.S. defense company Kratos has now been selected to develop a new-generation infrared seeker for the missile.
According to Kratos, the company received a contract from the C5ISR Center of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM). The project is intended to address the "obsolescence" of the Javelin's current seeker.
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Under the contract, Kratos will develop, manufacture and test a new infrared seeker. The upgrade is intended to improve the Javelin's effectiveness, as the missile is expected to remain one of the U.S. military's key close-combat weapons over the next decade.
Defense Express notes that the FGM-148 Javelin program is managed by Javelin Joint Venture (JJV), a partnership between RTX and Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin currently supplies the seeker for the missile. The U.S. Army has now chosen a different company to develop its next-generation replacement.
The exact reason for bringing Kratos into the program is not known. One possibility is that the U.S. Army is seeking a faster or more cost-effective development process. Another is that Kratos could bring newer technologies, including artificial intelligence, to the seeker. These remain possibilities rather than confirmed explanations.
It is also possible that Kratos will be responsible only for development, while production of the new seeker will eventually be handled by JJV.
The Javelin uses an infrared seeker that enables its fire-and-forget operating concept. A new seeker could potentially improve target acquisition and tracking after launch, including the missile's ability to maintain a lock when facing enemy electronic warfare and other countermeasures.
The U.S. Army has also recently received its first Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) launchers for Javelin. The launchers were contracted in 2022 and, in addition to being lighter than the original system, provide roughly twice the detection and recognition range.
Although anti-tank guided missiles have increasingly been supplemented by FPV drones on the battlefield in the russian-Ukrainian war, ATGMs remain widely used and procured in other countries. The Javelin is no exception. Its production capacity is currently being expanded to meet demand, and the system is expected to remain in U.S. service at least until 2050.
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